before 900;Middle Englishheven, variant (with -v- from simple past tense and past participle) of hebben,Old Englishhebban; cognate with Germanheben,Old Norsehefja,Gothichafjan; akin to Latincapere to take

Related to Old English habban "to hold, possess." Intransitive use by c.1200. Meaning "to throw" is from 1590s. Sense of "retch, make an effort to vomit" is first attested c.1600. Related: Heaved; heaving. Nautical heave-ho was a chant in lifting (c.1300, hevelow).

heave

The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.Cite This Source

Encyclopedia Article for heaves

chronic disorder of the lungs of horses and cows, characterized by difficult breathing and wheezy cough. The symptoms are worsened by vigorous exercise, sudden weather changes, and overfeeding. Heaves resulting from bronchitis may be associated with the feeding of dusty or moldy hay. In horses the condition may be of allergic origin. Chronic pulmonary emphysema also induces heaves. See emphysema.